Gov. Katie Hobbs weighs in on UArizona financial crisis

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Governor Katie Hobbs weighed in on the University of Arizona's financial crisis, Thursday Evening.

In a letter to the Arizona Board of Regents, Hobbs said she had a responsibility as governor to hold UArizona accountable to restore faith and trust in the university.

She said the acquisition of Ashford University showed no coherent vision. "...That demonstrated a secretive process which downplayed, and some might even say attempted to hide altogether, the incredibly risky nature of the purchase to the University of Arizona's finances and reputation," Hobbs wrote.

In the letter Hobbs detailed a conversation between university leadership, saying more consideration could have helped avoid damaging the university's reputation. "One email from a university Vice President asked the question "Are we boarding a sinking ship?" in regards to the acquisition."

"To say the situation demonstrates that there is significant work ahead to restore the university's financial health would be an understatement," Hobbs said in the letter. "This is no longer just about finances, this is about a lack of accountability, transparency, and at the end of the day, leadership."

Hobbs said the university needed to make some major changes, saying she didn't trust the processes in place.

She asked the University of Arizona to find solutions for several action items. She asked them to bring on a third-party consultant, create clear lines between university leadership and ABOR, and present a detailed report of strategies and tactics to resolve the financial issues to her office.

She ended the letter saying the situation can't afford any future missteps.

"It's clear that the issues at the University of Arizona will take a significant amount of time, committed leadership, and resolve to fully address across university leadership and with the members of ABOR," Hobbs wrote. "As I have done before, I offer my full support to the Board and university. My goal is that the work done to address the financial issues at the University of Arizona will restore the full faith and confidence of the public in the university and our higher education system as a whole."

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